Rotary marking tool for use in screw machines or the like



June 15, 1965 w. R. KING ETAL ROTARY MARKING TOOL FOR USE IN SCREWMAcH'Ii I Es on THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 INVENTORS.

WILLIAM R. KING and JOSEPH C. LANG a" El A Horneys W. R. KING ETAL June15, 1965 3,188,943

ROTARY MARKING TOOL FOR USE IN SCREW MACHINES OR THE LIK 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Aug.

M 3 S. a 4 R 6 u mm m w m 8 MM 4 L E M 2 W J av y/ B w v a w Q 8 2 5 a z4 I w /A V///V///% United States Patent 3,188,943 ROTARY MARKING T001.FOR USE IN SCREW MACHINES OR THE LIKE William R. King, Wilkinshurg, andJoseph 43. Lang, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to .las. H. Mathews &Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser.No. 215,843 6 Claims. (Cl. 1tl17) This invention relates generally to arotary marker, and, more particularly, to a rotary marker having a wheelwith type embossed on its periphery for marking a code or otherinformation on an article.

In the marking of hard materials such as wood, metal, and certainplastics, it is the practice to press type into the surface of thematerial by markers, punches, and the like. Articles manufactured bylathes or screw machines, for example, are marked during the finalstages of the product manufacturing operation, and it is in thisenvironment that the present invention is especially applicable. Usual--1y articles so marked are relatively small pieces made in rapidsuccession, and therefore are rotated at relatively high speed in themachine in which they are formed. As the article is being rotated by themachine, a marker wheel is brought into contact with the rotatingarticle which causes the Wheel to rotate in the opposite direction notunlike the engagement of friction wheels or gears with one another, butfor less than one complete rotation of the marking wheel. The raised orembossed type on the marker wheel are thus pressed into the surface ofthe piece with which it is engaged. After the piece is marked, it isnecessary for the marker wheel to be stopped and held against rotationin either direction and then to be backed away from the article and tobe rotated in the direction opposite of that when marking is achieved inorder that the wheel will return to its original position for markingthe next piece.

Markers of the nature of the present invention which are known in theart engage the surface of a rotating workpiece on a machine and impressmarks therein.

However, proper sustained operation of such markers to give uniformlyclear markings in rapid sucession has been difiicult to accomplish dueto the marking wheel turning too freely in the initial period of contactwith the work piece and then, having built up a considerable inertia,being stopped too abruptly.

A further difiiculty with existing markers of this character with whichI am familiar arises from the spring arrangement for returning themarking wheel to starting position when the brake is released. Spacelimitations are such that the tension springs employed for this purposewere fiexed so far in proportion to their lengths as to materiallyreduce their useful life.

According to the present invention, the concept is advanced of braking amarker wheel throughout its rotation with a progressively greater forcebeing applied as the wheel rotates, and finally terminating the rotationof the wheel in less than a full revolution from the start of themarking operation whereby a smooth or steady pressure without slippageor erratic rotation is maintained by the wheel against the article toclearly mark the article by the type on the wheel. The present inventionis designed such that a long wheel return spring is provided whichserves both to return the wheel to its starting position and to apply aprogressively greater force on a wheel brake as the spring is tensionedby rotation of the marking wheel in the reverse direction from thestarting position through the marking cycle.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a new and improvedrotary marker of the type referred to.

Another important object of the invention is to provide 3,188,943Patented June 15, 1965 a rotary marker for use in screw machines and thelike wherein the wheel return spring and the brake are interconnected insuch manner as to enable a long spring to be used and the pressure ofthe brake to become increasingly effective as the marker wheel rotatesthrough its cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a marking tool ofthis character an improved marking wheel brake in which braking iseffected by combining the rectilinear and transverse movements of thebraking member.

A still further object is to provide a unique tool assembly in whichreplacement of the marking wheel is readily accomplished.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdetailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read inconjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan View of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

F FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 shows afragmentary isometric view of the friction brake and brake releaselever;

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the marking wheel holder withthe marking wheel shaft and associated parts removed, and with partsseparated from their normal position to better show the construction;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section in the plane of line VI--VI of FIG. 1,but on a larger scale; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view taken at right angles through the upperportion of FIG. 6, the section being in the plane of line VIIVII of FIG.1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in FIG. 1 a marker generally designated numeral 11. Themarker 11 is releasably attached to a shank 12 which is shaped to bereceived firmly by a tool holder, not shown, of a machine which operatesto rotate an article such as a screw to be machined and marked forexample.

The head 13 of the marker 11 is bifurcated to form two parallel spacedarms 14 and 15, each of which are provided with bearings 16 which areaxially aligned. Journaled in the bearings 16 for rotation is a shaft 17to which is keyed a marking wheel 18 having raised marking characters 19on its periphery and extending through an are less than the wheelcircumference and as shown in the drawing there are sloping cam-likesurfaces leading up to and away from these characters as is customary inmarking wheels for this purpose. The wheel 18 has a laterallyextendinghub portion 21 so that the wheel with its hub has only a rotatingclearance between the arms 14 and 15. As shown best in FIG. 1 the wheel18 is of a diameter to extend past the ends 22 of the arms 14 and 15whereupon the type 19 travels in a path to freely contact an article tobe marked.

The shaft 17 extends laterally beyond the arm 15, and the portion 23 ofthe shaft next to the arm 15 is of greater diameter than the part onwhich the marking wheel is carried. The peripheral surface 24 of theportion 23 has a smooth finish which is hardened to function as a brakesurface and part 23-2-4 constitutes a brake drum. A circular wheelelement 25 is formed integrally with the shaft portion 23 or fixedthereto by suitable means, not shown, and the periphery of this Wheelelement is provided with an annular groove 26. There is thereforeprovided in the holder a rotatable assembly comprising shaft 17, markingwheel 18, brake drum 23-24, and a second wheel or second wheel element25.

The shaft 17 is removably contained for rotation within 28 in the shaft17 within guided therebetween. The nose a line contact with the brakingsurface 24 of the cy-' 3 the bearings'16 by an elongated pin 27 whichpasses through the bearing in the arm 14 tangentially of the shaft andbetween the wallsof a circumferential groove the hearing. The pin,27extends vertically above the arm 14 and is bent on itself to provide acrook 29with the end .of the crook being received within a bore 31extending into the arm 14 to restrain the pin from rotation about itsaxis. By means of the pin 27 engagement with'the recess 28 the shaft isprevented from movement in an axial direction, but the shaft is free torotate.

To replace the wheel 18 with another, the pin '27 is grasped by thecrook 29 and pulled vertically from the marker 11. The shaft 17 is thenslid sidewise toward the arm 15 by pulling the wheel element 25 in suchdirection. When the marking wheel 13 slips off the end of the end byaligning its keyway with the key on the shaft. Then the wheel element 25is urged toward the arm '15 which action carriesthe .end of the shaft 17toward the arm 14 to be seated within the bearing 16 and locked againstfurther axial movement by passage of the pin 27 between the walls of theshaft annular recess 28.

The wheel elementZS has a tapped'opening in its periphery within whichis received a headed. fastener '32. One end of *a flexible coiledtension spring 33 is held firmly beneath the head of the fastener 32,and the spring passes around the grooved periphery of a fixed arcuatesupport or spring guide 34 which is aligned with the member 25. Thesupport 34 is fixed by screw 35 on a bifurcated brake-guide frame '36,FIGS. 1 and 2, secure-d to the marker head 13 by fasteners such asscrews 67, and the frame 36 having a'lower surface which'slopesdownwardly towards its open end 3-9 to .a horizontal plane below thehorizontal plane of the axis of rotation of the'shaft 1'7. Disposed inthe closed opposite end'41 of the guideway 38 are resilient pa'ckings orcushion 42.

A brake 43 is slidably mounted in the guideway 38 of the frame 36forrectilinear movement therein, and is of a vertical dimension suchthat its projecting end or nose 44 will move in a rock-ingmotiontransversely of its length by reason of the slope of the guideway whichprovides a vertical clearance or tolerance between the guideway upperand lowerwal-ls and the brake 43 44 is' shape-d to establish lindricalbraking drum portion 23 of the shaft 1-7 against which it is urged'by'the resilient pa'c'ki'riggo-r cushion '42 within the guid-eway end41-.

The other end of the tension spring 3 3'is attached to a boss 45extending fro'm'the exposed section'of the brake 43 protruding from theopen end 39 of the guideway 38. Inasmuch as the. spring is passed aboutthe grooved guide 34, the force of the spring urges the brake 43downwardly at its end or' nose 44,"thus pull ng the nose below the planewhich includes the axis of rotation of the shaft .17 and brake drum 23.1

A vertically extending passageway 46 in the frame 36 is in alignmentwith a slot 47 in the brake 43 within the is provided with a guideway 38in FIG. 2 will retract the contact of the nose 44 4 c-ordingly, pushingthe lever 48 to the right as viewed with the braking surface 24 of thecircular member 25.

A stopmernber 53 extends from the brake surface 24 of the shaft 1-7 andisadjustably retained within a bore 54 passed radially into the shaft,FIG. 2, and'the stop member abuts a shoulder 55 on the frame 36 limitingthe rotation of the circular member 25 me counter-clockwise direction. 7

Operation The marker 11 is advanced by a machine tool holder in whichthe shankof the marker is held against the surface shaft, another wheelmay thenbe slipped onto the shaft of a rotating article to be markedwhen the markeris in a rest or start position as depicted in FIGS. 1 and2. When the periphery of: the marker wheel 18, which as explained isslightly eccentric as shown in FIG. 2, engages the rotating article, thelatter turns the marker wheel and its shaft 18 clockwise. The brake nose44, which is urged normally into contact with the brake drum 24 by theresilient packing or cushion 42, is carried over center by the rotationof a brake drum 24 from itsrest position belowthe center of rotation ofthe shaft 17 to a position above the center. The tension spring 33 wrapsabout the return spring wheel 25 as the shaft rotates and exerts anincreasing forceto urge the brakedown against the drum by reason of itsattachment at to the brake member. The type 19 is carried by rotation ofthe type wheel into impressing contact with the surface of the article,imprinting the desired code into the article surface. After the markingis completed the article engages the are of the wheel which is shown inthe upper side of the type in FIG. 2. By the time the type wheel hasrotated far enough that theeccentric surface beyond the type has clearedthe workpiece, the brake will check further rotation of the rotatingparts under their own inertia and the type wheel will be stopped withits surface clear of the work piece. The work piece may thereforecontinue to rotate as it may do many times before it is carried awayfrom the marking station.

The force of the spring 33 continues to hold the member 25 againstretrograde or counter-clockwise rotation until the brake is released, bypushing the lever 48 to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 to ,retract thebrake nose 44 slightly and compress the cushion 42. When the brake isreleased, spring 33, exerting a pull ,on the spring return wheel 25,rotates this wheel and shaft 17 and the marking wheel counterclockwiseback to the start position- This reverse rotation is stopped while thespring .is still under slight tension when member 53 strikes shoulder ofthe frame 36. The lever 48 is guideway 38 into which a brake releaselever 48 is guid ingly received. The lever 48 ispinned to a stud49fixedto the frame'within. thepassageway l'o such that the lever pivots aboutthe stud. The. lever has an elongated opening 51 extending through theend portion thereof, which is positioned within the guideway slot 47,through which is received a pin 52 which is fixed to .the brake 43 V 7and which protrudes into the guideway'irg laterally. As

shown in FIG. 2, the width of the passageway 46 is greaterthan the widthof the slot 47 such that the lever 48 when pivoted about the stud 49moves the brake 43 tripped upon withdrawal of the entire marker 11 fromengagement with the rotating article. The marking operation is repeatedon an article subsequently rotated by a machine when the wheel 18 ispressedinto engagement with the article. The marking wheel 18 by theoperation explained hereinabove engages the article or workpiece duringonly onerotation of the workpiece, but the wheel never completes afullrevolution.

It is manifest that the above-describedembodiment of the invention ismerely illustrative and that numerous modifications may be made withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. Further, it will be understoodthat the rotationof a workpiece is given as an example only for thereason that the, article may be stationary and the jmarker may rotate onthe article by moving the entire marker by a suitable means, it beingnecessary only that axially within the guideway 38. The, elongatedopening 51 provided in the lever 48 permits the brake43 to move"vertically to effect a rocking motion at the nose 44. Ac-

relative rotation between the article and the marker wheel periphery iseffected in order to'achieve the'markingof an article.

1. A rotary marker comprising a bifurcated; head withspaced'parallelarms having aligned bearings, a shaft journaled in thebearings'and bridging the spacing between the arms, a marking wheelhaving type on the periphery thereof mounted on the shaft between thearms for rotation with the shaft, the shaft extending laterally beyondone of the arms and having a circumferential braking surface beyond thearm, a circular member with a grooved periphery fixed to the end of theshaft adjacent the braking surface for simultaneous rotation with theshaft and wheel, a frame secured to the head, an arcuate support with agrooved periphery mounted fixedly on the frame with the groove inalignment with the grooved periphery of the circular member, the framehaving a horizontally extending guideway, a brake slidably mountedwithin the guideway with a nose formed for line contact with the brakingsurface, resilient means within the guideway for biasing the brake noseinto line contact with the braking surface of the shaft, the brakehaving a vertically extending slot, the frame having a verticallyextending passageway in alignment with the slot in the brake, a brakerelease lever pivoted within the passageway and pinned to the brakewithin the slot for moving the brake slidably within the guideway, aspring fixed at one end to the periphery of the circular member andextending around the grooved periphery of the arcuate support, the otherend of the spring being attached to the brake portion extending from theguideway whereby a force is exerted downwardly on the nose of the brakeagainst the braking surface, the guideway being of a dimension wherebythe nose of the brake rocks from below the axis of the circular memberto a point above the axis of the circular member, a stop memberextending from the periphery of the circular member for limiting itsrotation and being in abutting contact with the frame at a position ofrest from which the wheel rotates in a marking operation, the rotationof the circular member increasing the tension on the spring whereby thenose of the brake is pulled downwardly with increasing force against thebraking surface of the shaft in proportion to the amount of rotation ofthe circular member whereby the circular member is stopped by the brakeafter the type on the wheel have marked an article, the release of thebrake by the lever actuating a retrograde rotation of the circularmember by the action of the spring.

2. In a marking tool of the character having a holder of the type havinga marker wheel adapted to be rotated in one direction by engagement witha rotary work piece in one direction and a second wheel fixed to rotatewith the marking wheel and having a tension spring that is wrapped byrotation of the marking Wheel about the periphery of the second wheel,the spring having one end anchored to the periphery of the second wheelwhereby it will wrap about the periphery of said second wheel when saidwheel is rotated in one direction and effect rotation of the secondwheel in the opposite direction to return the said wheel to startingposition, wherein (a) there is a brake drum also arranged to rotate withthe marking wheel and the second wheel,

(b) a brake bar having a nose bearing against the brake drum,

(c) the brake bar being supported on the holder in a manner to enablethe nose to travel through a limited arc transversely of the length ofthe bar and also move rectilinearly relative to the brake drum,

(d) means for resiliently urging the nose of the brake bar against thebrake drum,

(e) the spring having its other end anchored to the brake bar and guidedabout the holder in such manner that the tensioning of the spring as itwraps about the second wheel increases the pressure of the nose of thebrake bar against the drum.

3. A marking tool of the class described comprising (a) a holder,

(b) a marking wheel shaft in the holder,

(c) a marking wheel, a brake drum, and a spring return wheel fixed onthe shaft for rotation with the shaft,

(d) a brake bar holding means on the holder,

(e) a brake bar in the holding means having a nose bearing against thebrake drum, the brake bar being axially movable in the holding means andalso movable transversely of its length with the nose moving in an arcfrom a position where the nose is in a plane below the axis of rotationof the marking wheel shaft over center to a plane above said axis,

(f) means for resiliently urging the brake bar nose against the brakedrum,

(g) a spring attached to the brake bar near the nose extendingdownwardly from the bar,

(h) guide means on the holder about which the spring is looped so thatafter extending downwardly from the bar it extends rea-rwardly, upwardlyand then forwardly at a level above the bar,

(i) the other end of the spring being attached to the spring returnwheel in a manner to wrap about the periphery of said wheel when it isrotated in one direction against the tension of the spring.

4. A mark-ing tool -as defined in claim 3 wherein a brake release leveris pivotally mounted between its ends on the holder with one endprojecting above the holder and having its other end passingtransversely through the brake bar inter-mediate its ends, wherebymovement of the lever imparts rectilinear movement to the brake bar, theengagement of the lever with the brake bar being such as to allowtransverse movement of the brake ba-r relative to the lever.

5. A marking tool of the character described comprising a holder, arotatable shaft in the holder, a marking wheel, brake drum and returnspring wheel all fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith, theperiphery of the marker wheel extending beyond the holder and being ofgreater diameter than the brake drum and return spring wheel, a brakebar having a nose portion bearing against the brake drum and movablerectilinearly transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of theshaft with the nose portion of the bar being movable transverselyrelative to said axis, guide means on the holder in which the brake baris retained for such movement, resilient cushion means between the guidemeans and the brake bar for resiliently urging the bar rectilinearlytoward the brake dr-um, an extensible flexible spring having one endattached to the return spring wheel and its other end attached to thebrake bar near the nose thereof, a spring looping guide on the holder,the spring extending from its point of attachment to the brake bartransversely to the length of the bar, thence around the guide andlooping forwardly in a direction generally parallel with the bar to thespring return wheel, and a trip lever engaging the brake bar foreffecting rectilinear movement of the brake bar to release the brake barfrom braking engagement with the drum.

6. A marking tool as defined in claim 3 wherein the marking wheel iskeyed to the shaft, the holder having two arms through which the shaftpasses With the marking wheel positioned between these arms, the brakedrum and spring return wheel being on one end of the shaft outside thespace between the two arms, and removable means in the other arminterfitted with the shaft to permit rotation thereof, said shaft beingmovable endwise upon removal of said last-named means to enable themarker wheel to be removed and replaced.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM B. PENN,Primary Examiner.

1. A ROTARY MARKER COMPRISING A BIFURCATED HEAD WITH SPACED PARALLELARMS HAVING ALIGNED BEARINGS, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE BEARINGS ANDBRIDGING THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ARMS, A MARKING WHEEL HAVING TYPE ONTHE PERIPHERY THEREOF MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT BETWEEN THE ARMS FOR ROTATIONWITH THE SHAFT, THE SHAFT EXTENDING LATERALLY BEYOND ONE OF THE ARMS ANDHAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL BRAKING SURFACE BEYOND THE ARM, A CIRCULARMEMBER WITH A GROOVED PERIPHERY FIXED TO THE END OF THE SHAFT ADJACENTTHE BRAKING SURFACE FOR SIMULTANEOUS ROTATION WITH THE SHAFT AND WHEEL,A FRAME SECURED TO THE HEAD, AN ARCUATE SUPPORT WITH A GROOVED PERIPHERYMOUNTED FIXEDLY ON THE FRAME WITH THE GROOVE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEGROOVED PERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER, THE FRAME HAVING AHORIZONTALLY EXTENDING GUIDEWAY, A BRAKE SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THEGUIDEWAY WITH A NOSE FORMED FOR LINE CONTACT WITH THE BRAKING SURFACE,RESILIENT MEANS WITHIN THE GUIDEWAY FOR BIASING THE BRAKE NOSE INTO LINECONTACT WITH THE BRAKING SURFACE OF THE SHAFT, THE BRAKE HAVING AVERTICALLY EXTENDING SLOT, THE FRAME HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDINGPASSAGEWAY IN ALIGNEMENT WITH THE SLOT IN THE BRAKE, A BRAKE RELEASELEVER PIVOTED WITHIN THE PASSAGEWAY AND PINNED TO THE BRAKE WITHIN THESLOT FOR MOVING THE BRAKE SLIDABLY WITHIN THE GUIDEWAY, A SPRING FIXEDAT ONE END TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER AND EXTENDING AROUNDTHE GROOVED PERIPHERY OF THE ARCUATE SUPPORT, THE OTHER END OF THESPRING BEING ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE GUIDEWAYWHEREBY A FORCE IS EXERTED DOWNWARDLY ON THE NOSE OF THE BRAKE AGAINSTTHE BRAKING SURFACE, THE GUIDEWAY BEING OF A DIMENSION WHEREBY THE NOSEOF THE BRAKE ROCKS FROM BELOW THE AXIS OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER TO A POINTABOVE THE AXIS OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER, A STOP MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THEPERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER FOR LIMITING ITS ROTATION AND BEING INABUTTING CONTACT WITH THE FRAME AT ITS POSITION OF REST FROM WHICH THEWHEEL ROTATES IN A MARKING OPERATION, THE ROTATION OF THE CIRCULARMEMBER INCREASING THE TENSION ON THE SPRING WHEREBY THE NOSE OF THEBRAKE IS PULLED DOWNWARDLY WITH INCREASING FORCE AGAINST THE BRAKINGSURFACE OF THE SHAFT IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF ROTATION OF THECIRCULAR MEMBER WHEREBY THE CIRCULAR MEMBER IS STOPPED BY THE BRAKEAFTER THE TYPE ON THE WHEEL HAVE MARKED AN ARTICLE, THE RELEASE OF THEBRAKE BY THE LEVER ACTUATING A RECTROGRADE ROTATION OF THE CIRCULARMEMBER BY THE ACTION OF THE SPRING.